1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to a method and device for recognition of writing and communication with remote devices.
2. Description of the Background
The use of computers for data entry and communication has become limiting and inconvenient in some aspects. For example, the use of a computer keyboard requires repetitive motion that is known to cause physical discomfort and, in some cases, physical injury. In addition, computers are relatively large devices. Even the advent of laptop computers has not made data entry and communication easy. One reason is that a laptop cannot be smaller than a keyboard and, to be efficient, a keyboard must have keys at least as large as a typical user""s fingers. As a result, the size of a laptop computer is not foreseen to reduce significantly in the future. In any event, it is not foreseen to become small enough to be carried by a person with little or no inconvenience.
To address these problems, some relevant art discloses hand-held devices for data entry, typically in the form of handwriting recognition. Many of those devices, however, require a written or sensory grid in order to determine the motion of the device and read the lines drawn by a user. Some devices require special purpose input pads to monitor the writing and drawing of a user. Other devices require that a user only print using special characters in order for handwriting recognition to work. All of those devices also suffer the inability to monitor multiple writings by a user on an ordinary piece of paper. Other devices allow for multiple writings on an ordinary piece of paper, but do not compensate for movement of the paper relative to the writing instrument. Thus, the prior art devices inaccurately recognize the writings because the user compensates for the movement of the paper, but the device is not able to determine that user has so compensated.
As a result, the need exists for a device that provides for easy and convenient data entry and communication, as well as the ability to use any surface and to be able to accurately monitor a user""s actions.
The present invention is directed to a device including a housing, a writing tip connected to the housing, a writing surface position indicator, a processor in the housing, a memory device in the housing connected to the processor, and a sensor in the housing and cooperative with the writing surface position indicator. The device may be used to record writings and drawings applied to the surface by the user, to transmit that data to a remote device, to download data from remote devices, and to otherwise communicate with remote devices.
The present invention is also directed to a device including a housing, writing tip connected to the housing, a processor in the housing, and a memory device in the housing connected to the processor having stored thereon instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to recognize an interface defined by writing on a writing surface.
The present invention provides the advantage in that it permits data entry with a hand-held device which does not require a special writing surface. The present invention also provides the advantage that data can be entered accurately because the device compensates for movement of the writing surface during the writing process. The present invention also provides the advantage that the data can be stored into the writing instrument itself, rather than having to transmit the data to a remote device. The present invention also provides the advantage that the device can communicate with remote devices. The present invention also provides the advantage that a user can define a personal interface, which can be stored by the device, to enter data or instruct the device to perform certain commands. These and other advantages and benefits of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention hereinbelow.